Continuum Part 3
by honor2hermes
Summary: MalInara next installment, another chapter coming very soon.


Continuum Part 3Jordan Owens

Deep space gives one a sense of where they're at in the 'verse. Nature was so long removed from the stillness of the black that a person could forget all about it. Out here, someone could forget that God existed.

Out here, someone could believe all sorts of things.

Mal stood at the back of Wash's pilot chair, arms crossed. He wanted to ask if Wash knew about Zoe's feelings. Her...viciously expressed feelings. She obviously wanted him to tell Inara how he felt, but she didn't understand the situation at all. How could she? Her and Wash had exactly what Mal wanted, and they flaunted it in front of everyone, that happiness.

"What's the matter, sir?"

Mal looked down at Wash, coming out of his internal monologue. "No, I was just thinking."

"Come on, sir," Wash replied, not even looking up from his console, "It's obvious you and Zoe have had it out. She just came through here before you, and she was pissed."

"Why?" Mal's question was guarded.

"Beats me." He sounded genuine, but Wash always did. That's why Mal had hired him, that and him being damn near the best pilot in the 'verse.

"Well, all I know is I'll be hearing about it later, and you could give me a head start." He looked up at this point with the grin that always made Mal think he was crazy. He laughed despite his downtrodden attitude, shaking with mirth. He stopped finally, and decided to give Wash a reply.

"She's convinced I need to go round with Inara." He laughed again, twice as hard this time, the notion was just so ridiculous. Wash didn't. He looked serious as he ever had, staring straight into Mal's face.

"Mal, ever since you hired me you've been my boss. But somewhere along the way you became my friend, too. And any friend would tell you, she's right."  
"You, too," Mal wasn't laughing now, "none of you know anything about it!" He walked out.

"That's you're excuse." said Wash to the retreating captain.

Mal was in the galley, drinking. The only thing they had left was Jayne's whiskey on board besides Kaylee's gorramn engine grease. But he hadn't seen the merenary all morning, so he was sure he wouldn't mind. Certainly, he'd probably have one when he came around.

"Pour me one, Cap'n!" Mal had been right.

"Jayne. Where you been all morning?" He selected another small glass from a cupboard, filling it with strong drink.

"Just around, nowhere," he drank, sighing with happiness afterward, "I like these jobs where we're out in the black for days and days, just flyin'. You know?"

"Yeah, well. For you it's good."

"What you mean?"  
"The whole crew is conspirin' against me."

"Huh?" Sweat appeared on Jayne's palms. The captain knew him well, maybe he'd seen past the lie.

"Yeah! Zoe an' Wash an' Kaylee probl'y, all wrapped up in this notion I need a woman to look after me."

"You don't go in fer that, Cap'n. Yer smarter than to get in with the types we find." His look meant he was referring to someone in particular.

"Okay, I get it, she got the drop on me. But it was just one time."

Jayne crippled himself laughing. "You thought you had a wife!"

Mal couldn't help but chuckle a little, "That I did, and you tried to steal her!"

He got a guffaw in reply, "Yeah, I was the one gonna get stole from, tradin' Vera for that piece o' space trash, what the hell was I thinkin'?"

Mal looked over at him, "Yeah, I bet you're glad I turned that one down now."

Jayne grew serious, "Thank you."

Inara found Kaylee in the engine room, thankfully alone for a change. She apparently had a fascination with using the engine room for personal matters. Inara wasn't shocked, very little did that, but she was a little surprised at little Kaylee's mischievous streak. Simon certainly hadn't known what he was getting into.

She looked up as Inara entered the room, smiling, "Hey 'Nara, I never had you com,e callin' on me before, ususally it's me hangin' around in yer shuttle!"

"Yes," she tried not to look too inquisitive, "Kaylee, I want to ask you something."

"Sure, ask away!"

"Well, it's about you and Simon."

Kaylee was a little deflated, but not much, "Oh, okay. Sure."

"Kaylee, do you have feelings for anyone else?" There, she had said it. It was out there.

Kaylee was shocked, now, and a little guilty, "Why do you ask, 'Nara?"

"I just noticed the way you look at him, it's like... and don't be mad, but you don't seem happy."

Kaylee was now on the verge of tears, which made Inara very guilty and a little embarassed to not have really noticed, but to have had Jayne tell her, of all things.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want, sweetie." She hugged Kaylee to her, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

"No, I gotta tell someone!" She looked up at Inara, "You would be best out of everybody."

"Go ahead, you can tell me."

"It's Jayne!" Kaylee said it and then breathed out a sigh, grinning. The waterworks had stopped.

Inara sat down hard on a bench. She was completely speechless. She had no idea what to say.

"What should I do, "Nara?"

"Well... I think...I don't know. What about him, in particular?"

"He's just so strong, I think he'd be able to do anything, you know? And Simon just doesn't treat me the way he used to, he's always holed up in the lab. Tell me if I'm bein' bad thinkin' this."

Inara gathered her composure, "Well, no. I think if that's what you really think you want, you should go for it."

"Really?" Kaylee's face was shining, "I really think it's what I want." She became quiet, and said, "But I don't know how. He's always so serious."

Inara thought for a moment, "You just need to surprise him with something he likes. Like booze. Or violence." They shared a small laugh.

"Will you help me, Inara?"

"Oh, i don't think..."  
"Oh, come on! You've got all the prettiest things, I just know you can set it all up real nice."

Inara thought about the possibilities of the galley for a romantic dinner arrangement. It would be fun, but, "Kaylee, you cn't just jump into this. You'll have to talk with Simon first."

"That's the thing. We already broke up."

"What? When?" She must really be slipping to not have noticed that.

"Before this last job." She nodded slowly, "I think it was a little while coming, though, you know?"

Inara decided that she really didn't have anything better to do for the remainder of their week-long trip. "Okay, Kaylee, I'll help you. We'll have him on his knees before dessert."

Mal and Jayne were through most of the whiskey by nightfall, and were stumbling off to their respective cabins. Mal almost fell down the ladder to his room, but managed to get into the bunk without injury. Jayne, however, stayed up in the hall. He was drunk, but not too drunk. He limped to the common area, where Simon and Kaylee were waiting with Zoe. He threw himself on the sofa and they all looked expectingly, especially Kaylee.

"Well, he's out for at least a few hours. I don't know if this is the best plan. You catch people off guard like this an' you never know what's gonna happen."

Kaylee grinned, "That's the whole idea. Surprise."

Simon smiled at Kaylee, "The plan is ingenious, and even an ape couldn't mess it up."

Zoe, grinning for the first time in a few days, just nodded. The trap was set.


End file.
